Coalition talks begin in Croatia

Although there is still no clear winner in yesterday’s elections, the HDZ and SDP have both begun coalition talks.

Neither Prime Minister Ivo Sanader‘s Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) nor opposition leader Zoran Milanović‘s Social Democratic Party (SDP) have a majority in the Croatian parliament, and must therefore begin coalition discussions.

According to the preliminary results announced by the Croatian Election Commission, the HDZ won the most parliamentary seats, followed by the SDP.

Officials from both parties have announced coalition discussions since neither have been able to secure the absolute majority of 77 seats.

Last night both parties were celebrating. The latest results showed a small lead for the HDZ. According to tallies from 95 percent of the polling stations, the HDZ have won 60 of the 153 parliamentary seats.

The SDP have won 57 seats. HDZ President Ivo Sanader announced his victory at around midnight last night.

“I can tell you that I talked to the president and told him that I was awaiting the mandate to form the government,” Sanader said.

SDP leader Zoran Milanović said that he too had talked to Croatian President Stjepan Mesić.

“I can tell you that we are entering talks for forming the government, but we will not celebrate until we hear the final results,” Zoran Milanović said.

Mesić did not say whether he had talked with either of the leaders, stating only that he had expected such an outcome and was glad that there would be a strong opposition, regardless of who formed the government.

French Acrobats in Zagreb Youth Theatre

Every performance of the ‘Tailteul’ show is unique and different, which makes it the premiere and last performance at the same time.

The show “Tailteul” by the French art group La Scabreuse opened the 3rd festival of new circus at the Zagreb Youth Theatre (ZKM) during which eight artist groups of the modern circus from France, Italy, Spain, Finland and Croatia will perform the next six days.

Internationally renowned choreographer Jordi L. Vidal is the choreographer of the performance and Jean-Michel Guy, a renowned circus theoretician, analyst and publicist, is the director.

The performers are a juggler, an acrobat and musician in search of sense that keeps eluding them. Questions are asked and there are no answers. Identity crises are a constant in the global world, is the French message.

The mixture of acrobatics, juggling and music is followed by a visual absurdity. The actors are confined in a white box with writing, symbols, drawings and markings.

Theatre surprise for Zagreb’s audience

This circus production is specific because it is created on the spot, adjusting to the locale and moment of its performance. Every performance of the show is unique and different, which makes it the premiere and final performance at the same time. The Zagreb audience was thrilled with the theatre surprise created only for them when majorettes marched on the stage and the musician spurted bizarre sentences in Croatian. The artists skilfully included Croatian brands alongside world known names, so, enumerating Microsoft, McDonald’s, Marlboro, they included Dukat, Badel and other Croatian producers.

The visual spectacle showed how a circus skill can contribute to creating an unusual theatre performance.

War crimes charges filed against 14 Serbs for 1991 murder of 70 Croats

Serbia's war crimes prosecutors filed war crimes charges against 14 former Serb fighters in the killing of 70 Croat civilians in 1991, authorities said Thursday.

The group includes former Yugoslav army soldiers and paramilitary fighters suspected of "torture, inhuman treatment and killing" of the Croats in a border town in Croatia during the war there, prosecutors said in a statement.

Croatian investigations have discovered dozens of bodies in mass graves in the village of Lovas, apparently killed in October and November 1991 when the Serbs controlled the area.

The Serbian prosecutors charged the Serb fighters with killing 22 Croats by forcing them to march over a minefield as a human shield. Another 48 villagers were shot dead in their houses, on the streets or in detention, the statement said.

Out of the 14 charged Serbs, seven have been detained by Serbian police. There was no immediate information about the remaining seven suspects.

The war in Croatia erupted in 1991, when the republic declared independence from the Yugoslav federation, triggering a Serb rebellion backed by the Serb-led Yugoslav army. The war lasted until 1995.

Prosecution of those responsible for atrocities in the war became possible after the removal of the late Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic in 2000 by Serbia's pro-democracy forces.

Who Will Sit in Croatian Parliament?

140 MPs have entered the new Croatian parliament. With a salary of 15,000 kuna, they are the ‘owners’ of the most lucrative jobs in Croatia.

Being a member of parliament must be the most wanted job in Croatia. An average monthly salary of 15,000 kuna, privileged pensions, free transport cross-country are only some of the benefits of the job. And with all those privileges, some MPs often fail to fulfil their duty of regularly attending parliamentary sessions.

The constituting of the 6th Croatian Parliament assembly has been envisaged for December, that is, 20 days after the issuing of official results of the general elections.

While the past parliament consisted of 152 MPs, this year 140 MPs will sit in parliament, of whom 61 are from the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), which will be joined by five other MPs elected by the Diaspora, 56 social democrats (SDP), six members of the Croatian People’s Party (HNS) and seven MPs of the Croatian Peasants’ Party-Croatian Social Liberal Party coalition (HSS-HSLS).

The biggest surprise of this year’s elections is Branimir Glavas’s party (HDSSB) that will have three MPs. The Serb Democratic Independent Party (SDSS) led by Milorad Pupovac will have three MPs. The Croatian party of Rights (HSP) and Croatian Party of Pensioners (HSU) are the greatest losers of these elections, with one MP each.

In the 3rd electoral unit, the Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS) won three seats.

Also, representatives of minorities will sit in parliament: Furio Radin, Zdenka Cunhil, Semso Tankovic, Denes Soja and Nazif Memedi.

They will all soon sit in their seats in parliament and make up the largest legislative body in Croatia. We do not doubt that they will often make us laugh with their statements, but also make us quite angry. But it is too late for regrets, these are the “faces of the nation” that we elected.

Look at who will be representing the HDZ and SDP in parliament.

Croatia manager doesn`t want to meet England

Croatia manager Slaven Bilic said England was the team he least wanted to meet in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers despite Croatia ending England's Euro 2008 hopes at Wembley.

"Everyone in Croatia was saying 'give us England again' but I wanted to avoid England," Bilic told Sky Sports News. But the two teams will meet in the qualifiers to the World Cup finals in South Africa, as they have been drawn in the same group.

"It is a very, very hard draw because they are by far the best team from the second pot. The only team I wanted to avoid was England. We are not afraid of them but they have got a terrific team and brilliant players. They should gel and they are going to gel," he said.

Croatia beat England twice in qualifying for Euro 2008. Their 3-2 victory at Wembley last Wednesday meant England failed to qualify. Manager Steve McClaren was dismissed the following morning.

Apart from England, Croatia meet Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Andorra in Group Six of the World Cup qualifiers.

"It's not only England but we have Ukraine too -- that's a couple of teams who were in the quarter-finals of the last World Cup and both didn't qualify for Euro 2008," Bilic said.

"They will do anything to get to the World Cup in 2010. It's the most difficult group to be honest," he added.

Bilic does not know if he will be in charge of Croatia for their World Cup qualifying campaign.

"My contract runs out after Euro 2008 and you can't plan long term in this job," he said.

"I am focussed on my job and the European Championship," he told a radio station.

Top price for Edmondson Park block

A private company directed by lawyer Peter Short paid more than a $1 million an acre for a seven-acre block in Croatia Avenue, Edmondson Park, in May.

The price, the highest this year by almost $500,000 an acre for the area, bucks a 2006 prediction by an Urban Development Institute of Australia member that landowners would not get more than $270,000 an acre.

The lowest price this year was for a Jardine Drive property which fetched $333,000 an acre.

The Croatia Avenue block was bought by Australian General Resources, directed also by Mr Short's wife, Helen.

Mr Short declined to provide any information about the company or the purchase.

The land was earmarked for high-density development at the time of the sale but has since been exhibited for medium- and low-density.

The final density has not been decided.

In August, the Planning Department paid $3.65million for a five-acre property in the future rail corridor on Jardine Drive.

Leppington landowners affected by the rail corridor said they have been offered around $300,000 from the Planning Department.

Croatia's HDZ, SDP Run Neck-and-Neck, Claim Mandate

Prime Minister Ivo Sanader's Croatian Democratic Union and the opposition Social Democratic Party were running neck-and-neck after yesterday's general election, with both parties saying they can muster enough support to form a coalition.

Sanader's party, known by its Croatian acronym HDZ, was set to win 60 seats and the SDP 57 seats with 95 percent of votes counted, state TV reported, citing the State Election Committee. Seven other parties may get enough votes to enter parliament and decide who forms the government. The turnout was 64 percent.

``I've spoken with President Stjepan Mesic and told him I expect the mandate to form the next government,'' Sanader said at his party's headquarters. SDP leader Zoran Milanovic was equally adamant, telling reporters: ``I am happy with these results and I am saying that we are starting to create the Croatian government.''

The 54-year-old premier's party came to power in 2003, replacing a coalition led by the Social Democrats. The Adriatic Sea state had 14 consecutive quarters of economic growth during his term, average inflation was around 3 percent and wages rose while unemployment fell to a record low in August.

The next government will probably lead the country into the European Union. Sanader's administration began entry talks two years ago and the country aims to join by the end of 2010 or early 2011. The previous three governments survived full four-year terms.

Milanovic, 41, led a comeback for his party, which as recently as March was trailing Sanader's with just 18.8 percent support in a poll. By October, a survey for the Puls research agency had both parties at 30.3 percent. Two exit polls published after voting ended yesterday gave the SDP the lead.

Potential Candidates

President Mesic will give the mandate to the party that can get majority support in Parliament.

``We have potential candidates for a coalition for both sides, I mean the HDZ and the SDP,'' the president told reporters after early results were announced.

There will probably be 152 or 153 legislators in the new parliament, depending on the strength of the turnout among Croatians living abroad. The expatriates may get as many as five lawmakers if turnout is high and typically support the HDZ.

Of the other parties likely to be represented in the parliament, only the Croatian People's Party, likely to get seven seats, has said who it will support, coming down in favor of the SDP.

The Croatian Peasants' Party in alliance with the Social Liberals together have a probable eight seats; the Croatian Democratic Union of Slavonija and Baranja has three; the Istrian Democratic Forum, three; and the Croatian Party of Rights and the Croatian Pensioners' Party, have one seat each. None have announced which of the main parties they'll back. There will also be eight members elected by minority ethnic groups living in Croatia.

These are the sixth democratic elections in Croatia since 1990, when the nation was still a member of the Yugoslav Federation. It declared independence a year later, after which it fought a four-year war with its ethnic Serb population, who were protected by Serbian troops dispatched by Belgrade.

ER's Goran Visnjic to pay child support after admitting paternity

Actor Goran Visnjic - Dr. Luka Kovac in the U.S. TV series ER - has acknowledged having a child from an extramarital affair and has agreed to pay child support.

Visnjic, 35, was granted visits with the girl at his request, according to a lawyer in the case.

He initially had insisted on a paternity test after Mirela Rupic, a 36-year-old woman from his hometown, sued him, saying her daughter was the result of an affair with him in the summer of 2006.

At the hearing before a Zagreb court Tuesday, Visnjic's lawyer, Marijan Hanzekovic said the actor had abandoned requests for paternity test and recognized the eight-month-old child as his. He agreed to support her with 9,000 kuna (US$1,800) a month.

Visnjic was granted visits once a month, said Rupic's lawyer, Nenad Skare.

Visnjic, who lives in Los Angeles, has also appeared in films with Nicole Kidman and George Clooney. He has been married to Ivana Vrdoljak since 1999. The couple adopted a son this spring.

In an interview after Rupic's lawsuit was filed Visnjic acknowledged one encounter with her, but insisted he remembered nothing from that night because of jet lag and alcohol. "I was always against cheating," he said at the time. "I still can't believe I did it."

Gotovina must stay in Hague before trial-court

Former Croatian general Ante Gotovina will not be allowed to return to Croatia ahead of his war crimes trial in The Hague because of the risk he might flee, the U.N. war crime tribunal ruled on Wednesday.

"The defence has not satisfied the trial chamber that Ante Gotovina will appear for trial if provisionally released," the court said.

In August Gotovina, who has been in detention in The Hague since December 2005, asked to be allowed to await trial under house arrest in Croatia and provided guarantees by the Croatian government that he would return to the court.

Gotovina was arrested in Spain's Canary Islands in 2005 after evading capture since 2001. His capture hastened Croatia's path towards becoming a member of the European Union.

He and two other commanders, Ivan Cermak and Mladen Markac, are accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including persecution and murder during a 1995 Croatian military offensive to retake the Krajina region from the Serbs.

A start for the trial has not yet been scheduled.

Croatia Seizes Cocaine On Balkan Smuggling Route

The value of the seized drugs was put at 82 million kuna ($16.5 million), the radio said.

Croatian police have seized 160 kg (350 lb) of cocaine in the northern Adriatic port of Rijeka in an operation with Bosnia and Greece, they said on Wednesday.

"This is a strong blow to the narco-mafia in the Balkans, which increasingly use Adriatic ports, in addition to roads, for their illegal activities," the head of the Croatian police, Marijan Benko, told state radio.

The value of the seized drugs was put at 82 million kuna ($16.5 million), the radio said.

According to local media, a police operation in the three countries had been going on for almost four months and resulted in the arrest of several people in Greece, Bosnia's Serb republic and Croatia.

Croatia lies on a notorious Balkan trafficking route where smugglers of cigarettes, drugs and people regularly make use of the mountainous terrain.

Klasnic in Croatia contention

Ivan Klasnic is to make himself available to Croatia boss Slaven Bilic again after overcoming kidney problems.

The Werder Bremen striker, who now has three kidneys, has struggled to recover from a transplant and wears a fibreglass shield to protect the organ.

Any damage to the kidney could prove life-threatening but Klasnic has been given the go-ahead by doctors to increase his workload and add to his 26 international caps.

Klasnic, who marked his club return against Energie Cottbus at the weekend, said: "I feel great. I can't explain the emotions I had when getting on the pitch from the beginning of the match.

"I was working hard and did not want to accept it when some doctors said that I might never return to the pitch.

"When I'll be totally fit, I'll hope for another call from the national team coach."

World Cup 2010: Surely England can't fall to Croatia in qualifying again?

After their catastrophic failure to qualify for Euro 2008, can Steven Gerrard and Co get it together in time for the next big one?

After the bitter disappointment of failing to qualify for Euro 2008, I am interested to see how England fans gauge their country's chances of making it to the next the 2010 World Cup.

This is perhaps timely in view of the fact that the Group draw has been made and by all accounts England seem to be in an easy passage.

Witness, then, the polls. The first one quite simply asks what England's fate will be in World Cup qualifying. Four options there: They win the group, they finish second and qualify via the play-off, they finish second and fail to qualify, or they finish third or lower. The second poll is much broader and simply asks if England will win a Euro or World Cup in your lifetime (however long that may be).

Obviously there is no way (that I know of) to limit participants to England fans so perhaps this is more of a worldwide forum on the status of the sport in the country that invented it. Which is still interesting. So have a go here!

In the short-term, England have been drawn in a qualifying group with Croatia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Andorra. It could have been worse, as several groups look a lot tougher. France have a very tough draw, for example, with Romania and Serbia, two teams that can match up with anyone, and Lithuania and Austria potential wild cards. But of the nine top-seeded teams England could have been drawn with, Croatia was undoubtedly the worst.

I think England will definitely qualify, possibly even directly as group winners. And long-term? I'm not sure that the influx of foreigners into the Premier League has hurt English football. It has been going downhill for some time (like, since 1966?), nor is this the first time England have failed to qualify for a major tournament. Actually, England's football supremacy was put in doubt before 1966 as well. Witness the following quote:

"That one game alone changed our thinking. We thought we would demolish this team - England at Wembley, we are the masters, they are the pupils. It was absolutely the other way."

Sir Bobby Robson said that in 1953, after England's first defeat at Wembley to a non-British team (Hungary).

It goes to show that lessons in humility are not a new experience in the annals of English football. England have adapted before; 13 years after that historic loss they won their only World Cup on the same field. No reason they can't change with the times again, one would think.

Croatian ruling party wins 66 seats in general elections

The ruling conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) won 66 seats including five seats for expatriates in the 153-member parliament, remaining to be the largest party in Croatia, the State Election Commission said on Wednesday.

According to provisional election results from all 12 electoral units, the main opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) was second with 56 seats.

The coalition of the Croatian Peasant Party and the Social Liberal Party won eight seats, the People's Party seven, the regional Istrian Democratic Party and HDSSB party three each, while the Party of Rights and the Pensioners' Party each won one seat.

The new parliament will also include eight representatives of ethnic minorities.

About 4 million voters are eligible to vote in Croatia's parliamentary elections on Nov. 25, the sixth multi-party elections since 1990. The turnout of the elections was around 64 percent.

Final results will be announced after repeated voting at three polling stations on Dec. 9 and the expiry of a 48-hour deadline for complaints, but those results will not affect the present distribution of seats.

After the expiry of the deadline for complaints, the Constitution provides for a 20-day period for the formation of a new parliament, which is the prerequisite for the formation of a new government.

Parliamentary elections were conducted in 10 electoral units in Croatia and in two special ones, one for the Croatian Diaspora and Croatian nationals residing abroad, and the other for Croatia's national minorities.

The Croatian constitution stipulates that the unicameral parliament can have no less than 100 and no more than 160 deputies, depending on the voter turnout. Parliament members will be elected on the basis of direct, universal and equal suffrage for a four-year term.

President Receives Temporary Election Results

President Mesic received today the temporary results from the DIP. From the President’s Office they confirmed that talks will start tomorrow.

President Mesic today received the report number one over temporary and unofficial elections results, it was confirmed from the President’s Office. By receiving the results, Mesic’s conditions for the beginning of the consultations over the mandatary are fulfilled.

Consultations over the mandatary can begin

From tomorrow he will officially start talks with all the leaders of the parties. The first among them will be president of HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) Ivo Sanader, whose party gained 61 mandates in Croatia and supposedly 5 in the Diaspora, that is the relative majority of members in the new parliament.

Apart from this, today Sanader carved out a mandate more by signing an agreement with the first Roma representative in the Croatian parliament in history, Nazif Memedi.

On the other hand, social-democrats (SDP) leader Zoran Milanovic gained 56 mandates, but he has already agreed a post-election coalition with HNS (Croatian People’s Party) and IDS. SDP also greets the mandate of the Bosnian representative Semso Tankovic. If this happens, the social-democrats would have 66 mandates. Nevertheless, Sanader denies them the right to form the cabinet.

Already after the publication of unofficial election results, on the night of the elections and during the two following days, the parties representatives have been holding meetings and sittings, and discussing coalitions, which could form the new cabinet after President Mesic’s decision upon the mandatary is made.

After the elections are repeated in three polling stations on December 9, the DIP will publish the official elections results.

Elections won't affect Montenegro ties – Croatian ambassador

Croatia's top representative in Montenegro says the two countries' relations will remain unaffected.

"Irrelevant of how the new government is formed, I am certain Croatian relations with Montenegro will remain friendly," Ambassador Petar Turčinović told a Podgorica daily in the wake of weekend elections in Croatia.

His country's foreign policy toward neighboring Montenegro, "will suffer absolutely no changes," the diplomat reassured.

The ruling conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) won the parliamentary vote over the weekend.

But its parliament seat tally falls short of absolute majority, forcing the party of Prime Minister Ivo Sanader to seek coalition partners in order to form a new cabinet.

New Croatian flights to be introduced

Overseas property investors in Croatia are set to benefit from the introduction of new flights.

UK airline Flybe has announced that it will launch new services between Exeter to Dubrovnik in spring 2008 alongside a number of domestic routes, reports BBC News.

The increased accessibility should prove to be highly beneficial to overseas property owners in Croatia, as it opens up the market to visitors from the south-west of England.

Although the carrier has traditionally run flights to sunny holiday destinations, it is hoped that the new services will appeal to business travellers as well as tourists.

Commenting on the move, Flybe chief commercial officer Mike Rutter said: "Obviously consumers will benefit from the competition and we'll see how long that competition survives."

This follows a recent report by the European Union which said that Croatia was making "substantial progress" with its negotiations on achieving full membership of the international body.

High bids at Croat c.bank repo auction

Croatia's central bank accepted offers worth 3.5 billion kuna ($704.3 million) from local banks at its weekly reverse repo auction of finance ministry treasury bills on Wednesday.
Total bids in the amount of 6.21 billion kuna were almost as high as at the last auction, when they totalled 6.51 billion kuna, with bid rates varying from 3.60 to 4.30 percent and the weighted rate being 4.11 percent.
"I do expect a mild fall of interest rates after the auction, but boosted demand for the kuna ahead of Christmas holidays will push interest rates towards high levels in the coming period", said a money market dealer at a major local brokerage.
"I see interest rates at between 8.00 percent and 9.50 percent in December," the dealer added.
Strong interest at today's auction was in line with most market forecasts, as banks needed funds for mandatory reserve maintenance amid squeezed liquidity.
A money market dealer at a major local bank said "it has become quite a routine -- interest rates rising ahead of Wednesday's repo reverse auctions and then easing afterwards."
"Except there will be no major easing this time as intensified demand for kuna is usual for this time of year," she said.
Both market participants agreed the movement of interest rates was rather hard to predict, considering recent developments on the local financial and political scene, such as irregularity of reverse repo auctions, Nov. 25 parliamentary elections or pre-holiday consumption.
The central bank's reverse repo auctions consist of kuna-denominated T-bills with 91-, 182-, and 364-day maturities, which the finance ministry usually auctions on Tuesdays .

Alma Media expands its business to Croatia

According to its strategy, Alma Media's Marketplaces business unit
continues to expand internationally and will open a home and real
estate portal called City24 in Croatia.

City24 is already in operation in the Baltic countries, Russia,
Poland and Ukraine. Measured by the number of visitors, it is one of
the leading home and real estate portals in Europe. City24 users can
search for homes and properties in all areas where City24 is active,
even outside their own country.

In Finland, the corresponding service is Alma Media's Etuovi.com,
Finland's most popular and best known nationwide online service for
home and property sales. The service also includes a special
newspaper focusing on home sales that is distributed to almost a
million households in five localities.

After the service in Croatia is running, Alma Media intends to launch
the City24 home portal in Bulgaria and other Adriatic Sea countries.

Alma Media is a profitably growing and internationally expanding
company that invests in the future of newspapers and the online
media. Its best known products are Aamulehti, Iltalehti, Kauppalehti
and Etuovi.com.

Net sales in 2006 totaled EUR 302 million and the operating margin
was 16 %. The company's share is listed in the Mid Cap segment of the
OMX Nordic Exchange's Nordic List, trading code ALN1V.

Baking the books

Croatian Food company Podravka has found a novel way to present investors with a copy of their great recipes in the annual report: They embedded a small booklet inside the financial report.

But to read the recipes, you needed to enclose the booklet in foil and bake until done.

To be able to cook like Podravka you need to be a precise cook. That is why the small Podravka booklet is printed in invisible, thermo-reactive ink. To be able to reveal Podravka’s secrets you need to cover the small booklet in aluminium foil and bake it at 100 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes.

If you cook it correctly, the recipes appear. But if you cook it wrong, you will find the pages full of pictures of empty plates.

The report was designed by another local Croatian company:Bruketa & Zinić OM based in Zagreb, Croatia. They have won many awards for their originality.

Photos of the report can be found HERE, along with self righteous commenters who lament the sacred greenhouse energy that has to be used to read the booket, thereby missing the point: the originality of the booklet will result in news stories and free publicity for the company and the country of Croatia.

Soft Drinks in Croatia to 2011

This databook is a detailed information resource covering all the key data points on Soft Drinks in Croatia. It includes comprehensive value volume segmentation and market share data. The databook supplies actual data to 2006 and full forecasts to 2011.

The market for Soft Drinks in Croatia increased between 2001-2006, growing at an average annual rate of 2.8%.

The leading company in the market in 2006 was The Coca-Cola Company. The second-largest player was Jamnica with Podravka d.d. in third place.

Teenaged girls leap to death together

Two teenaged girls committed suicide together by jumping from a church tower on a Croatian island Tuesday, local media reported. The two eighth-grade students were found dead beneath the 12th century belfry of the St John the Evangelist convent and church on the island Rab, on Croatia's northern Adriatic coast.

The girls, close friends aged 14, reportedly hinted earlier that they would leap from one of the four belltowers in the town of Rab, but were not taken seriously.

They skipped school Tuesday and were seen walking through the town.

Their families went on a search after they failed to return home at the usual time. The bodies were found by a family member. Circumstances were still being investigated, reports said.

EU agrees plan to save bluefin as numbers hit critical low

EU fisheries ministers on 27 November agreed unanimously on a multi-annual stock reconstitution plan for bluefin tuna, the highly-prized yet threatened fish species popularly used for sashimi and sushi.

The reconstitution plan endorsed by the Fisheries Council transposes into Community law the bluefin tuna recovery plan laid out by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) during a 26 November 2006 meeting in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Under the plan, which spans 15 years as of January 2008, member states will be required to put forward annual fishing plans that include quotas for individual vessels. Seasonal restrictions and minimum tuna weight requirements are also part of the plan.

The Commission called the plan "timely and necessary", and noted that it goes further than the ICCAT provisions since it requires fishing plans to be put forward at the beginning of the season, in addition to the post-season reports required by ICCAT.

EU member states have been warned recently by the Commission for exceeding their quotas.

Environmental groups questioned the likely effectiveness of the plans. WWF has called ICCAT "entirely incompetent" to manage marine resources, and says the measures agreed in Dubrovnik in 2006 represent a "collapse plan" rather than a recovery plan.

Citing severe overfishing and other illegal activity that has driven the species to the brink of extinction in terms of commercial exploitation in open waters, WWF says that the quota levels endorsed by ICCAT will likely lead to the collapse of bluefin fisheries.

Overfishing of the lucrative bluefin tuna - one fish caught in open waters can fetch up to $100,000 in Japanese markets - remains a problem worldwide, as the fish are found in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Due to their migratory nature, overfishing by one nation can also have adverse affects on the bluefin stocks and fishing industries of other nations. Bluefins are also bred in hatcheries and fish farms, but farmed fish are less prized due to their higher fat content.

A US proposal to impose a worldwide temporary moratorium on bluefin fishing in order to allow stocks to recover was strongly supported by Canada but rejected by ICCAT delegates on 19 November.

Bombardier sells four firefighting aircraft

Bombardier Aerospace says it has sold four Bombardier 415 amphibious firefighting aircraft, worth $118.2 million (U.S.), to an undisclosed customer.

The buyer also purchased special-mission equipment, Montreal-based Bombardier said yesterday.

The sale includes spare-parts provisioning, training and technical support. Deliveries will begin during the last quarter of the fiscal year ending Jan. 31, 2008, and will continue until 2009.

"Since its launch in 1994, the Bombardier 415 has consistently proved itself to be a reliable and effective firefighting tool," Michel Bourgeois, the president of Bombardier Amphibious Aircraft, said in a news release.

"The aircraft's unique operational capabilities and exceptional performance allow it to operate in the most rugged and demanding of circumstances, and it is recognized around the world as the most effective firefighting aircraft available."

Since the first Bombardier 415 amphibious aircraft was delivered in 1994, 65 have gone to firefighting agencies in Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Spain, Ontario and Quebec. In addition, 67 CL-215 amphibious piston aircraft remain in service fighting fires.

The Bombardier 415 has a maximum speed of 359 kilometres an hour. In an average mission of 11 kilometres from water to fire, the aircraft can complete nine drops within an hour and deliver 55,233 litres of fire suppressant.

The aircraft also has a multi-purpose version, the Bombardier 415MP, which can be used in a variety of specialized missions, such as search and rescue, maritime patrol and environmental protection.

Zagreb Overcomes Surge of New Office Inventory

After being inundated with new supply—a trend that shifted the pendulum in favor of tenants—office rents here are leveling off, according to a Q3 review by Colliers International’s Croatian group. Class A rates have recovered into the $21 to $24 per sf range, while a stampede to quality has allowed the region’s newest office towers to fill up sooner than anticipated.

“Absorption has accelerated in 2007 as companies have used the opportunity of favorable terms to relocate,” reports Colliers International Croatia managing director Tomislav Perovic. The industry veteran terms Zagreb’s leasing climate as “dynamic” following a third quarter when 220,000 sf was absorbed. The activity is especially encouraging given that summer is a slow time for Zagreb, says Perovic. Colliers anticipates the dose of leasing should keep rents from plummeting as much as had been feared when the glut of new supply cascaded onto the scene. Demand has not been fully wrung out despite the deals already done, says Perovic, because several major tenants have remained on the sidelines in hopes that rates would fall further. That patience has resulted in substantial interest for the two remaining buildings slated to come on line by year’s end, properties accounting for about 125,000 sf.

Beyond those buildings, Zagreb will have little new office space developed through the end of the decade when a new wave of skyscrapers is slated for arrival. That should provide ample time to pare down the 2.1 million sf of class A space delivered in 2006, says Perovic, a mark that tripled the class A inventory for Zagreb. The total office market, including owner-occupied space, is now 7.5 million sf.

Besides competitive terms, a desire among companies to operate in modern space has been a key driver for the dramatic lease-up seen thus far in 2007, Perovic says. Most of the new structures began the year with vacancies exceeding 50%, but the majority are now enjoying single-digit vacancies, and Perovic says the migration to new towers is expected to continue. That could mean doom for class B product, he says, as such properties in solid locations are being targeted for demolition to make way for 21st century replacements. Those that remain are offering tenants a further price alternative, with class B rates averaging $13 to $17 per sf, according to Colliers.

Iran-Croatia ties to rise

Croatian new envoy in Iran, Esad Prohic, visited the foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki and handed him the copy of his accreditation.

The two sides conferred over the latest bilateral ties and international issues.

Highlighting the joint interests of the two sides, Mottaki also underlined expanding bilateral relations especially economic ones.

He also called the ties between the two countries friendly, hoping this climate can promote joint cooperation in international communities.

Economical situations of the two countries are completing each other and it is possible to boost collaborations and the nations should create the proper conditions for more cooperation, the new envoy explained.

Stressing the cultural relations between the two countries, Prohic added that there is a strong will in two countries to exchange tourists and this can be a useful way to make the two nations closer to each other.

Logos Hope leaves Croatian shipyard, heads to Germany for final outfitting

Logos Hope, Operation Mobilization’s newest vessel, departed from Shipyard Trogir, Croatia, Nov. 8 after completing a two-year conversion project, thanks to $31 million in donations.

The vessel is heading to Kiel, Germany, for final outfitting before being launched into service.

“We are one major step closer to a dream that we started dreaming years ago to create more space and opportunity for our visitors to experience the love of God,” Bernd Gülker, chief executive officer of OM ships International, said in a news release.

The Faroe Islands-registered Logos Hope will be used to transport vital literature resources, aid supplies and an all-volunteer crew committed to serving port communities worldwide.

Funding for the renovation project was provided through individuals, churches, trusts and other community groups.

During its port time in Croatia, the ship’s deck was replaced, the bridge was rebuilt and upgrades to the vessel’s ventilation and sprinkler systems were completed.

In addition to the shipyard work, other upgrades were completed by volunteer professionals and other willing hands. As it moves into its final preparation, the organization is seeking additional skilled workers and continued donations.

In Kiel, the vessel’s visitor center will be furnished, as well as other onboard community facilities and public areas. The final stage is expected to take six months. Limited tours will be offered during its docking time in Kiel.

“The arrival of Logos Hope in Kiel will be a great milestone toward the completion of the project,” said Logos Hope Project Director Lloyd Nicholas, based in Australia. “We look back with thankfulness for the Lord's mercy and faithfulness. People, finance, plans and prayers have come together to make this day a reality. And we look forward with confidence that Lord will continue to lead us. We can see the moment approaching when the ship will begin active service.”

Purchased in April 2004, Logos Hope offers significantly larger capacity to serve port communities around the world. Officials said that onboard resources on existing OMSI vessels Logos II and Doulos are overstretched, with thousands of visitors daily.

OM hopes to officially launch the vessel next spring with 400 volunteer staff and crew, who will live and work on board. Applications to join the crew are now being accepted.

OMSI began in 1970 as part of the global Christian training and outreach movement, Operation Mobilization. The crew and staff of 500, including professional seafarers, are all non-salaried volunteers.

More than 70 nationalities are represented on board. They have assisted more than 37 million people who have visited the ships at over 490 different ports in 155 nations. Crew members are unified by their faith and goal to share God’s love as they serve in port communities. The ships remain in port for several weeks and open the gangways to thousands of visitors every day.

In addition to its floating book fair of 6,000 titles, the ships also bring aid and relief to needy people and places around the world. Crew members go ashore to provide medical aid, help construct schools, orphanages and homes, and give gifts of food, clothing and books. Teams also visit hospitals, orphanages and prisons to share God’s compassion and love.

Operational costs are met by sponsorship of onboard personnel, general gifts, reductions and waivers of fees by civic and port authorities, book sales, and corporate support in each port of call.

Documentary chronicles life of BYU basketball legend

The life of Kresimir Cosic is being chronicled in a documentary debuting this week at Brigham Young University.
"An Off-Court Story" details the Cosic's journey from war-torn Croatia to BYU basketball star. Cosic was a five-time All American and Western Athletic Conference record holder.Drafted into the NBA, Cosic turned down millions to return to Croatia. He eventually served as deputy ambassador to the U.S.
While at BYU, Cosic became the first Croation baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He also translated the Book of Mormon into Croation.
He died in 1995 from cancer at age 46.The documentary was produced by BYU graduate Lindsey Blumell, who says she was struck by his legacy while she served a church mission in Croatia.

Croatia: Dora 08 final date announced

HRT, the Croatian broadcaster have announced that the country's final to select the next representative for the Eurovision Song Contest will be held on 23rd February 2008 in Opatija just like last year.

Although HRT usually announces the semi finals' dates as well, no such announcement was made this year. Instead, a series of six special shows preceding the final have been scheduled for January and February. Partner site eurovision-croatia.com reports that the Ususret Dori shows (Towards Dora) will take place on 12, 19, 26 January and 2, 9 and 16 February.

That could possibly mean that these shows will serve as more than preview shows for the presentation of the songs. Croatian HoD Aleksandar Konstadivov told eurovision-croatia.com that HRT are still in discussions and a final decision is yet to be made.

Croatia indicts former Serbian officer cleared by Hague tribunal

Croatian prosecutors on Tuesday indicted a former Serb army officer recently cleared of war crimes charges by a U.N. tribunal.
Miroslav Radic, 45, is accused of committing war crimes against Croat civilians and POWs during the 1991 war in Croatia.
In September, he was acquitted of related charges by the U.N. war
crimes tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, and has since returned to Belgrade.
Radic was an officer in the Yugoslav army, which backed the Croatian Serbs who rebelled against Croatia's secession from Yugoslavia in 1991.
In Tuesday's indictment, Radic was accused of giving orders to commit war crimes in November 1991, as Serb paramilitaries and the Yugoslav army seized the town of Vukovar following a three-month siege.
Prosecutors said the indictment followed new witness testimony.
The indictment was issued by the prosecutor's office in Osijek in eastern Croatia. It also charges that Radic shot a Croat prisoner of war in the head in front of children.
The office said an international arrest warrant had been issued for Radic.
Serbia does not extradite its citizens to stand trial abroad. Croatian authorities could request his trial in Serbia or try him in absentia.

The Hague tribunal cleared Radic of involvement in the massacre of nearly 200 Croats forced out of the Vukovar hospital when the town fell.
Radic's acquittal infuriated Croatians, many of whom view the fall of Vukovar as a symbol of Serb wartime cruelty.
The Croatian government subsequently protested to the U.N., requesting that the work of its tribunal be re-examined.

Nexia: New firm in Croatia

Nexia International is delighted to announce that it has extended its coverage in Europe; for the first time Nexia will have a member firm in Croatia.

The eight-partner firm, to be known as Nexia Croatia, specializes in tax consulting but also offers audit and corporate finance related services.

The firm’s tax and audit experts have many years of experience in providing tax services to multinational clients.

Nexia International is a worldwide network of independent auditors, business advisers and consultants. The key to Nexia's success is simple: its global representation with member firms ranking in the top ten in the world's major financial and economic centres. This positioning means that Nexia is able to provide a top quality service to its clients with international needs.

Nexia International was founded in 1971 by two firms - Oppenheim Appel Dixon & Associates, USA and Spicer & Pegler, UK. These two founding member firms serviced over half the firms in the financial sector in the major centres of London and New York. Apart from the global firms, no other network has this pedigree.

Iran calls for broader cooperation with Croatia

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Tuesday that Tehran is willing to promote its cooperation with Croatia at international scenes.

Mottaki made the remarks in a meeting with new Croatian Ambassador to Tehran, Esad Prohic, who submitted a copy of his credentials to the Iranian minister.

The two discussed major bilateral and international developments during the meeting.

Mottaki stressed the need for promotion of Tehran-Zagreb economic ties while referring to the existing commonalties between the two nations.

Meanwhile, the Croatian ambassador said that Zagreb was willing to increase exchange of tourists between the two countries as that would lead to further expansion of bilateral ties.

Prohic noted that Iran and Croatia enjoyed vast cultural cooperation.

He further underscored the need for further expansion of economic cooperation between the two capitals.

Croatia's Dukat Moves for Macedonian Cheese Maker Ideal Sipka

Croatia's leading dairy producer Dukat, part of Lactalis, is close to acquiring Macedonian cheese producer Ideal Sipka for an undisclosed sum.

According to reports in Croatia’s press, the deal, which is in line with the company’s strategy of focussing on southeast Europe, will be subject to approval of the Macedonian Competition authorities.

Established in 1997, Ideal Sipka processes about 30 million litres of milk per year.

Last month, FLEXNEWS reported that Dukat invested 2 million euro to the boost production capacity of a Bosnian company it recently acquired - Inmer.

Dukat, which changed its name from Lura, posted sales of 2.2 billion kuna in 2006, roughly unchanged from 2005.

Coach Bilic turns Croatia to possible contenders

Even if Croats like to regard themselves as a football superpower and their record in the sport includes some moments of glory, the claim of the "coach of all coaches" appears outrageous. "We will be European champions," said Miroslav Blazevic, the nation's biggest coaching name. "Everybody laughed at me when I said we'd be first in the world, but they didn't when we ended up third."

Now at the helm of club minnows NK Zagreb, Blazevic secured his place in Croatian football history by taking the team to third place at the World Cup in France 1998.

But even the fiery coach admits that he speaks more as a motivator, than as a forecaster.

"You have to speak in this way - if I had said we'll be third, we would have ended up sixth," he said. "But this team certainly has the potential for a good result at the Euro."

The mastermind of the current success is coach Slaven Bilic, a fact not only recognized in Croatia. World Soccer magazine has crown the 39-year-old the world's best young coach.

Bilic took Croatia over from Zlatko Kranjcar in the wake of a disappointing first-round knockout at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, He first made sure not to listen to anybody and rejuvenated the team as he saw fit.

In his opening match, at then freshly-crowned world champions Italy, he fielded the previously little used Eduardo da Silva, Slaven Corluka and Luka Modric. They returned the favour in the form of a confidence-boosting 2-0 victory.

Asked about the "sensation," Biulic just shrugged: "Why surprise? We all knew those boys were excellent players."

Brought in as a provisional solution to a badly-shaken team ridden by personal animosities, Bilic's life expectancy on the bench was first estimated at six months, at most.

But success in the Euro qualifiers changed everything. "Pay him in gold and give him a lifetime contract," one newspaper screamed.

Bilic based his strategy on the experience and discipline of his "Foreign Legion," ranging from Spartak Moscow goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa via Juventus Turin defender Robert Kovac to Brazil-born Arsenal striker Eduardo da Silva.

Bilic turned a tottering, insecure team around in less than a year. Croatia today plays attractive attacking football, similar to the style nurtured by the "golden generation" which featured stars like Zvonimir Boban and Davor Suker.

Doing so required a hard character at times. When three key players, Bosko Balaban, Ivica Olic and Darijo Srna, were caught partying instead of resting for an all-important qualifier against Russia, Bilic promptly benched them and brought them in line on short order.

Rich foreign organizations have recognized Bilic's talent and traits and are reportedly bombarding him with offers, but he so far refuses discussing anything but Croatia.

Bilic, as well as his players, have already raised their market price by qualifying, with an option of boosting it further with a good showing next summer.

Third-strongest party mulls coalition demands after Croatia election deadlock

An alliance that finished third in Croatia's elections was drafting its demands Tuesday for negotiations with the ruling conservatives and the rival Social Democrats, both of whom are trying to form the next government.

Prime Minister Ivo Sanader's Croatian Democratic Union, or HDZ, finished first in Sunday's election but failed to secure the 77 seats necessary for a majority in parliament.

The new government will have to carry out further reforms to achieve Croatia's goal of joining the European Union in 2010 — as well as stimulate the economy, tackle corruption and improve living standards.

The election deadlock left the alliance of the Peasants Party and the Liberals holding the potential balance of power. Its leaders said Tuesday they would meet with Sanader first.

Both the HDZ and Social Democrats, scrambling to woo allies, insist they are in position to form a governing coalition.

President Stipe Mesic said he would give a mandate to the party that confirms it has majority in parliament.

Sanader's HDZ won 61 seats and also has the support of five deputies representing Croats living abroad.

The Social Democrats, or SDP, won 56 seats and claimed to have the support of two small parties, which would give them the support of a total of 67 deputies.

The Liberal-Peasants Party alliance elected eight deputies and could join a coalition government. Twelve lawmakers from several smaller parties could also be king-makers.

The alliance said its support would be granted in return for commitments on farming and regional development issues.

Observers argue Sanader could offer the alliance at least three Cabinet posts — trumping the SDP, which would have to cater to other allies, as well, to gain a majority in Parliament.

The postelection negotiations could last for days.

The HDZ, then a staunch nationalist party, ruled for a decade until 2000, when the Social Democrats took power on a pro-EU platform. The HDZ returned in 2003, but now is favors EU accession.

Two Macedonian citizens held in Croatia for drugs traffic

Two Macedonian citizens were held on Friday near Zagreb for sale of heroin, the Macedonian daily Dnevnik reports. A total of 2 kg of heroin were found on the two Macedonians, aged 38 and 30. The drug’s estimated value is EUR 30,000. According to the police the younger of the two has made the supplies of heroin, and later both sold it in Zagreb.

Warcrimes suspect elected to Croatia's parliament

A former Croatian lawmaker tried here for war crimes against ethnic Serbs during the country's 1991-1995 war was re-elected to parliament in this weekend's legislative elections, results showed Monday.

Branimir Glavas, accused of the wartime abduction, torture and the murder of 12 ethnic Serbs in the eastern town of Osijek, was elected as the head of his hardline Croatian Democratic Alliance of Slavonia and Baranja (HDSSB).

His party won three seats in the assembly which can have up to 160 deputies, according to electoral commission figures released after more than 95 percent of votes counted from Sunday's election.

Glavas, whose trial opened in October in Osijek, is Croatia's most senior politician to face war crimes charges to which he pleaded not guilty.

His party said earlier that if elected in the parliament, Glavas would have to be released from detention since he would have parliamentary immunity.

Glavas, 51, was the defence chief of Osijek at the time of the 1991 incidents of which he is accused.

Croatia's proclamation of independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991 sparked the four-year war with rebel Serbs who opposed the move.

Glavas is a former top official of the incumbent Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). After the 2003 legislative elections he entered the parliament as an HDZ deputy but later split to form his own party.

The conservative HDZ emerged from the elections with a lead over the opposition leftist Social Democrats (SDP), although the latter has refused to concede defeat and both have started talks to find coalition partners.

Under Croatia's electoral law, the president must give the mandate to form a government to the party that shows it has a parliamentary majority.

A total of 4.4 million people were entitled to cast ballots, of whom some 400,000 Croatians living abroad, mostly in neighbouring Bosnia.

Slovenian customs strike creates jams

Slovenian customs officials took industrial action, slowing traffic and forcing trucks at the border with Croatia to wait for up to eight hours.

The work-to-rule started less than a month before Slovenia, which joined the European Union in 2004, becomes a part of the border-free Schengen area.

At the same time, it must impose a much stricter regime on its border with Croatia, which is not an EU member yet.

The customs officers' union wants a faster increase of salaries than planned by the government and a clear programme for deployment of the officers when Croatia joins the EU.

When Croatia becomes an EU member, expected by 2011, the border between Slovenia and Croatia will virtually disappear and make customs redundant.

They also demand customs officers be exempt from the government's plan to cut the civil service by some 2%.

"The government has to come up with a binding plan of what will happen with the officers after Croatia joins the EU," Dusan Pecnik, a leader of customs officials' union said.

Negotiations with the government are due on Tuesday.

Croatia chief Zorislav Srebric's shoplift drama

IT WAS a great night for Croatia last week as it beat England 3-2 at Wembley to advance to the Euro 2008 finals, but the nation's football chief almost didn't get to see it.

Zorislav Srebric was arrested on suspicion of shoplifting a newspaper at Gatwick Airport, but the situation was sorted out and written off as a misunderstanding. If only England could have explained its loss in the same way.

Mountain of a gaffe, my dear

AS EMBARRASSED as England was, it was trumped pre-game by opera singer Tony Henry, who performed the Croatian national anthem. It seems Henry mispronounced a word, which went undetected by most of the 80,000 fans, but not the Croatian players. The line in the anthem was "Mila kuda si planina". Rough translation: "You know my dear how we love your mountains." But Henry sang: "Mila kura si planina." Rough translation: "My dear, my penis is a mountain." While Henry was red-faced on learning of his blunder, the Croatian players loved it and have invited him to the Euro 2008 finals.

Keane blasts England players

FORMER Manchester United and Ireland captain Roy Keane is prone to call a spade a shovel, and he didn't hold back after England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008. Now Sunderland manager, Keane took a shot at the superstars with the super egos. "From the outside looking in, I tend to think there are too many egos in there, too many big heads," Keane said. "You look at the England set-up and they don't appear to be a happy bunch. Watching the highlights and some of the players . . . and their body language, I don't think international football is that important to a lot of these players these days."

The Sun rises on 'black night'

IT'S still hard to top The Sun headline, "Swedes 2 Turnips 0" when England lost to Sweden under manager Graham Taylor. But the paper didn't hold back after the loss to Croatia. Shaun Custis wrote: "Useless, pathetic, insipid, spineless, desperate, rubbish and all those other words we are not allowed to print. There have been some black nights in the history of English football. But this, surely, was the darkest of them all."

Victory driven by billionaire

RUSSIAN billionaire Leonid Fedun came up with the right incentive to get Croatia over the line against England, helping Russia to make the Euro 2008 finals. The owner of Spartak Moscow, Fedun offered four Mercedes Benz cars to Croatia's best players if they won."What will I do now?" Fedun said. "I'll deliver on my promises and transfer those cars to the Croatian federation."

Thieves work through team sheet

LIVERPOOL striker Dirk Kuyt has become the fifth Reds player to have his house burgled in the past 18 months. Kuyt's luxury home was broken into while he was on international duty with Holland last week. Among the players' stolen items have been two Porsches, jewellery and a Champions League medal. But Everton winger Andy van der Meyde might have had the most unusual item stolen: his pedigree puppy.

Goalkeeper banks on 'blind' faith

RULE No. 1 for any rookie goalkeeper is have a good excuse to explain any soft goals conceded. France debutant Sebastian Frey had his get-out-of-jail card ready to go after the 2-2 draw with Ukraine. Basically, Frey helped Andriy Shevchenko's header into the net, but protested to the media: "I was blinded by a floodlight."

No half-measures for coach

DYNAMO Kiev acting coach Oleg Luzhny is obviously following the philosophy that a coach needs to keep apart the players who hate him and the players who still aren't sure. Which might explain why he wants to sack half of the squad. "I have what you might call a black list of players who, in my opinion, do not meet Dynamo's requirements," he said on the club website. Whoever said it's not worth doing things by halves?

England's Nightmare Revisited -- Croatia is Lying in Wait

President Thabo Mbeki and Fifa president Sepp Blatter officially got the countdown to the 2010 Soccer World Cup under way after the confirmation of the preliminary draw at a slick and glittering ceremony in Durban yesterday.

Blatter said yesterday's draw -- watched by millions around the globe -- would end all questions and doubts as to whether SA would be the next host of the biggest football tournament on the globe.

"Now there is no doubt the World Cup will be here in SA in 2010, and will be a big success," he said, to wild cheers inside Durban's International Convention Centre. "This is the official kick off of the 2010 World Cup. This is now the window to SA and it is opening to the world."

Mbeki said SA would deliver on promises the nation made to Fifa after the world football governing body confirmed Africa as the host of the 2010 World Cup in Zurich, Switzerland, in May 2004.

"We reiterate what we said a year ago in Berlin after the unveiling of the official logo that Africa is ready," he said.

"Africa is ready, Africa's time has come. Africa is calling, come to Africa in 2010," Mbeki said.

At a glittering function that 2010 local organising committee CEO Danny Jordaan said cost more than R30m to produce, music stars including Senegalese superstar Youssou N'Dour and South African Afro-fusion band Freshlyground gave the event an African aura.

The draw kept coaches from some of the biggest football nations in the world at the edge of their seats as Fifa secretary-general Jérôme Valcke -- assisted by soccer legends George Weah, Kaizer Motaung, Jomo Sono, and former players Lucas Radebe, Christian Karembeu and Marcel Desailly -- led proceedings.

The biggest gasps in the room were reserved for the confirmation of Group 4 in the African qualifying zone, where Bafana Bafana were thrown into the same group as old enemies Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Though Bafana do not have to qualify for the 2010 World Cup because they are the host nation, the African zone qualifiers for the showpiece will also double as qualifiers to the 2010 African Nations Cup. This means Bafana must play some tough matches against nemesis Nigeria to ensure qualification.

Eyebrows were raised when Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira was nowhere to be found and did not grant the South African media a chance to question him on the draw. Parreira has evaded the media often after big Bafana matches and his latest no-show did not go down well.

Other coaches stayed behind to comment, but Bafana's coach was nowhere to be seen.

In an event that had no shortage of high profile personalities, big-name coaches including Guus Hiddink, Marco van Basten and Felipe Scolari made appearances to see for themselves what they would face when the road to SA begins.

The International Convention Centre erupted in mock horror when it was confirmed that England would once again be in the same qualifying group as tormentors Croatia.

Wounds are still raw in England after Croatia managed to eliminate David Beckham and company 3-2 from the Euro 2008 at Wembley Stadium a few days ago. There was plenty of buzz about whether England might now also miss out on qualifying for 2010 because of a tough group that also includes last year's quarter-finalists Ukraine, Andorra, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

Local organising committee chairman Irvin Khoza said the slogan for the 2010 Soccer World Cup would be Kinaki -- Celebrate African Unity. In other groups of huge interest to the visitors, France was drawn against Romania, Austria, Faeroe Islands, Lithuania and Serbia in Group 7. World Cup champions Italy start the defence of their title grouped with Ireland, Cyprus, Georgia and Montenegro.

England gets another shot at Croatia

England will have another chance at Croatia as the two teams were drawn into World Cup qualifying Group F on Sunday.

Croatia ended England's hopes of advancing to EURO 2008 next June with a 3-2 win at Wembley Stadium last Wednesday, but The Three Lions will get another crack to overcome Croatia and advance to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Joining Croatia and England in the group is Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Andorra.

Croatia enters as the top team in the group, but England represents a big challenge as the second team. Ukraine qualified for the 2006 World Cup but will have a tough time doing so for 2010 with two strong teams at the top.

Belarus will not likely factor into the race, but could do enough to spoil it for someone else. The team finished fourth in its qualifying group for EURO 2008, including a win over the Netherlands in the final match.

Kazakhstan won just two of its 14 games in EURO qualifying, but proved to be a tougher test than most expected, while Andorra is little more than just a team to fill out the groups, having lost all 12 of its qualifiers by a combined 42-2 score.

Group A should be competitive with Portugal, Sweden and Denmark at the top, while Hungary, Albania and Malta will likely struggle.

Portugal and Sweden both finished second in their respective qualifying groups, with Portugal coming off of a semifinal appearance in the 2006 World Cup. Sweden should push Portugal at the top, but expect the Swedes to battle Denmark up until the end for second place.

There is no dominant team in Group B, which could make this one of the most wide open groups in qualifying. Greece edged out England for the last spot among the top seeded teams, and they head up the group. Israel and Switzerland join the Greeks, with any one of these three having a chance to take the top spot. Israel has never qualified for a World Cup, but this looks to be their best chance to do so. Moldova, Latvia and Luxembourg make up the final three teams.

The Czech Republic is the favorite to emerge as the top team in Group C, with Poland and Northern Ireland looking like the two teams that will try to grab th